MALARIA and HIV/AIDS have been identified as Nigeria’s two major health issues.
This is according to Nigeria’s health minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, who made the disclosure during his welcome address at the opening Ceremony of the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria Retreat at the Tinapa Knowledge Centre, in Calabar, Cross Rivers State.
“These three diseases: HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria are still major public health issues in our country,” Professor Chukwu said, adding that the incidence of drug resistant TB and extremely drug resistant TB were on the increase, and that the ministry was making effort to tackle them.
Chukwu also said that the vertical transmission of HIV infection remained a challenge and “we are doubling our efforts to ensure that we reduce Mother to Child Transmission’’.
He said the retreat was to enhance participants’ understanding of the structure and functions of the Global Fund and the CCM.
The minister listed other objectives of the retreat to include setting the stage for the development of the country’s concept note for interim and standard application pathways or the new funding models.
“The essence of this retreat is for all CCM members and some of our stakeholders to brainstorm and fashion out ways of maximising our resources.
“This is with a view to reducing the burden from the three big diseases – HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria,’’ he said.
Chukwu said that membership of CCM Nigeria was drawn from the public and private sectors, civil society organisations and development partners in health.
He further said that the retreat offered members the opportunity to evaluate their work and re-strategise for better performance.